6. HOMOPHOBIA, BULLYING AND HARASSMENT

Changing jobs and wondering about fitting in with new co-workers provoked anxiety in participants. One participant had a positive experience when he was concerned about coming out to male colleagues at a new job in remote Australia. His former boss said he could return if his new workplace did not accept him due to his sexual identity.

My boss that I just left on Thursday, he was just like, “I don’t care [about sexual orientation], no one should care”. He said, “If you go to this new job and they give you grief, you know, you’re more than welcome back up here, but no one should give a shit”. [And how did that make you feel?] It surprises you, and it’s good, and it’s the way it should be. Gay, male, 20s.

When people are concerned they may be rejected from a future workplace, it may mean they stay in a role which limits their development or the potential of a business.

Homophobia, bullying and harassment exists in the sector and there were many examples experienced by participants. Even though this section is small, it does not reflect the magnitude of the issue because specific examples are included elsewhere in this report under different categories.

Homophobic behaviour was rarely sanctioned by employers and often employees who demonstrated derogatory language and homophobic behaviour, even bullying, were given advantages. For example, one participant noted that for temporary regional deployments where employees had shared housing, experienced employees who were homophobic or racist were more likely to be given preference to who they share with, even if it meant an LGBTQ+ employee could be disadvantaged.

[The employer will] quite often get a house with three or four people but they will look at the people that they put them with and consider background, attitudes ... We know these people quite well. For example, if I was put on a job, if head office knew that someone would have a problem, they would discuss that with me and say, “Look, this person is old and racist and homophobic, so we’re not going to [place you in the same accommodation]”. Not that I’ve come across